This invention relates to a spring clip which is used to secure the shank of a cutter pick to the drum of a mining machine.
The spring clips which are currently used for this purpose have basically a U-shape with spaced legs and a bight portion adjoining the two legs. The extreme ends of the legs are outwardly splayed and there is an outward bulge midway along each leg. In use, the clip is applied to a grooved portion towards the end of the shank, the diameter of the grooved portion being slightly greater than the clear spacing between the outward bulges in the legs. This is achieved by aligning the clip with the grooved portion and hammering it in a direction transverse to the shank of the pick so that the legs are forced apart and the grooved portion is received between the bulges. When this situation is reached, the bight portion is still spaced from the grooved portion with the result that further hammer blows cause further outward splaying of the legs and possible deformation of the clip so that it no longer serves a securing function.
The present invention seeks to provide a spring clip which will solve this problem.